Main Line Steam - Possible ramifications of the WCRC suspension

If you are used to driving/firing a Castle class, and when you arrive for work you have a Merchant Navy class for the first time, the firing and driving will be different so could soon lose time until they get the steaming right.

 

That makes sense, given crews don't exactly work with them every day.

Another tick in the safety case box/paper trail............

 

One would like to think so for the main part, BUT given the title of this thread, it would "appear" that one of the main players hasn't.............

 

From the RTC website :

BUXTON SPA EXPRESS 18TH APRIL - POSTPONED
13-Apr-2015
Please be advised that due to ongoing operational restrictions the Buxton Spa Express scheduled to run on Saturday 18th April has had to be postponed. We apologise for any disappointment and inconvenience this might cause. A revised date will be announced as soon as possible and the website will be updated accordingly.


And from the SD Facebook Re 19/4 to Kingswear trip : - " at the moment we are very hopeful that this trip will run, but will confirm this as soon as we know (hopefully in the next couple of days)."

 

I am a lover of mainline steam and always will be. But I think, even ahead of the findings of the ORR and WCR satisfying NR before 15th May, there are companies whose existence depends on mainline steam. I think particularly of Steam Dreams. A marvelous company with superb personnel and they are now starved of any business. SME's (small to medium enterprises) have cash flow situations. They have to pay their staff. With no revenue coming in, SME's such as this are in an impossibleand worrying situation. It can lead to staff being made redundant or worse still, going out of business not that I include Steam Dreams necessarily in that scenario.

Worrying times? You better believe it. I simply do not know where we will be 12 months from now. It is a horrible time for all of us who love mainline steam. Absolutely awful. There are no guarantees anywhere of mainline steam's future on the scale that we have enjoyed for many years now and taken for granted that it would go on for ever. This is now at risk and although DBS can take up some of the slack, it is the possibility of star turns like the Great Britain, Jacobite etc. which leaves me just depressed.

 

Which confirms that WCRC's success has being doing the work that no-one else wanted and creating a viable business from it. Whilst not deliberately creating a monopoly it has made WCRC the sole supplier of many services including touring and support services to the railway industry hence its suspension has created problems throughout the industry.

Like many I hope that the problems can be resolved quickly but the slack created by the suspension will take a long time to recover and - I suspect - 2015 will be a barren year with hope that all can be restored for normal operations in 2016.

 

Best case scenario is that WCRC gets its house in order and gets its licence back, worse case scenario ORR find there is a case to answer and WCRC in effect cease to be a TOC in which case DBS are the only act in town, they cant take everything so main line steam becomes much rarer until someone else takes over what WCRC did. if there is anyone who can?

 

If Steam Dreams Do Run the 19/4 trip , and there happens to be a Merchant Navy at the head, will there be a spate of last minute bookings

 

Also the owners of the engines could take a hit if they don't get the hire charges in and the 10 year clock is ticking away.

 

i think you will see some engines coming off the mainline and running on heritage railways and a much smaller main line pool of engines, for instance, just the JH engines plus clan line and the dutchess and Tysley's pool

 

This will be especially hard for locos reaching the end of their "ticket", needing to top up their overhaul funds. I'm thinking of 60007 in particular, but the same could be said for 46115 and maybe others, too?

 

The Tyseley locos won't be able to work on the main line until WCRC, or a replacement heritage TOC, is back, since they are vac-only. The exception is 6201 Princess Elizabeth, which is currently an honourary Tyseley loco, though I don't suppose she'll be ready for work for several months even if TLW and the Society throw everything at finishing her ASAP.

To have a chance of working with DBS, a loco must be air-braked. Just at the moment, that means Britannia, Clan Line, 6233, Sir Nigel, Ian Riley's Fives and Tornado. Later in the year, we may see Braunton, 60009, Lizzie, Flying Scotsman and Tangmere (if DBS and WCRC sort out the paperwork) added to that list.

Just at the moment, the decision to send 4464 to the MHR for a year, and to "rest" 5029, rather than rushing to overhaul them, looks very sensible.

 

Standard reading for most of the enthusiasts I grew up with. Including the updated edition(s), of which I certainly read the second as well as the original. By R C T Rolt if my memory serves me right.

OK, just checked, it was L T C Rolt. Not far out.

 

Whatever the outcome, this atmosphere of uncertainty discourages people generally from booking for any specials. Apart from the train fare for a steam special, that may be substituted by diesel, and I think you'll find the terms and conditions allow this without refund, there are often hotels and transport arrangements to get to the starting point that are not refundable.

Nor would I care to rely on an insurance policy - they are pretty clever at weaseling out of paying claims.

All pretty horrifying - so much money and effort from those who have worked hard to provide main line steam. Sadly I can imagine the glee of those spoilsports who are against main line steam. We can only hope for light at the end of this tunnel; main line steam has in the past nearly 50 years been very resilient and determined.

John

 

I still have my old Red for Danger from 50 odd years ago. It is now is hardback format and updated. Just as riveting a read as ever. It does pose the question. Who would want to have been a signalman or engine driver back then when there was so many dangers. A steam driver who could barely see the signals through the smog, or a sigalman without the later protection on interlocking that prevented levers being pulled in error or track circuits so that if a train was standing in the path of another, then the signals simply could not be pulled off. In Red for Danger, the shortcomings are amply illustrated and with it the serious consequences.

 

Very interesting points here Big Al.

Standard routes take us back to the SLOA days of the 1970's and 1980's when trains between Didcot and Sheffield, or over the Welsh Marches for example, were the norm. To go back to that format, albeit I can understand the logistical elements to your points, would be a massive backwards step. Regarding long days, it never ceases to amaze me that these steam tours are generally packed, even dining, and so customers are clearly prepared to get up at 5am and not get home until 5am, the next day!!

Let's just hope that WCR survives and normal service is resumed as soon as possible. One hopes also that NR and ORR take into account the excellent track record that WCR has over many years and hundreds of trains operated perfectly safely and without incident.